Looking for a mentor/guru - will pay hourly for phone consultation
rnollman
Posts: 310
I am working on illustrations for a book and want to find a mentor/guru who will work on an hourly basis doing consultation to get me up to speed and help me troubleshoot DAZ Studio issues. I have been working on and off with DAZ Studio and Bryce from the time of their inception. I remember downloading the first edition of DAZ Studio and how terrible it was. They have come a long, long way.
I want to decrease the learning curve for DAZ Studio dramatically. I can do basic things like set up a scene and do posing. But what I want to be able to do is to be able to produce the results shown in many of the ads for DAZ products and from their vendors.
I need help in finding my way around the many complex menus in DAZ Studio, on lighting indoor and outdoor scenes, understanding which products to purchase related to things like lighting, shaders, materials, and add ons, managing cameras, using character morphs effectively, creating realistic expressions, managing clothes, hair, and dynamic fabrics, changing the age of a character, managing shaders, changing the physical characteristics of objects, dealing with fur on animals, upgrading my system (getting a refurbished system with more RAM, faster video card and so on), render options, post work with Photoshop, making decisions about using different render engines like Octagon, Lux Render, IRAY, 3Delight, and others, the possible use of render farms, exporting and importing to/from other rendering and modeling programs like Bryce and Carrera, sky domes and other lighting programs, environments, the proper use of background and ground planes, advice and guidance on buying products, and so on.
I do not need to know about animation techniques as I will be producing single images for a book. However, I do want to understand the basics of the timeline and how animation works, because I do have some other projects that relate to motion, showing movement of figure (such as time lapse of a ballet dancer) in a single image.
If you are interested, please post here with contact information or send me an email at rnollman AT yahoo.com and we can arrange to talk directly via email or phone.
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Comments
tip: write your email address differently, as is can be spammed to death as web crawlers can "read" it too.
Edit to add: If somebody does contact you fine, but whether or not, you are always welcome to post specific questions in the forums and it's free.
Iray is made by NVidia so a videocard made by them works best. For specific technical details somebody may come along who can answer more fully that question; but one can also contact Technical Support [keeping in mind its holiday time] and hopefully you'll get the proper information required.
Basic step for animation:
0 = pose figure
15 = another pose
30 = another pose
Then return to zero and "play it".
One can also stop the action and drag the guide to have the figure stopped anywhere in the pose, and that pose can be saved out for use in stills too.
Yes, I considered using AT instead of @, but thought that maybe this might not be a problem on this forum. I will do this from now on. Thanks for the heads up.
Change what you already have by editing the post- go up to the top right and mouse over, a cog should appear with Options, click Edit and you can fix it.
Thanks!
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-complete-guide-to-daz-studio-4-paolo-ciccone/1116816716?ean=9781849694087&st=PLA&sid=BNB_DRS_Core+Shopping+Books_00000000&2sid=Google_&sourceId=PLGoP648&k_clickid=3x648
Paolo is the developer of the Reality plugin, he is an amazing teacher, developer and artist.
Thanks! It would be really good if he could help me. Can I mention your name?
Oh. I did not realize you were sendng me to a book. I thought you were sending me to his email directly. I need hands on help. I just do not have the time to start making my way through documentation and tutorials. I have been that route and it is not what I need.
I would make more sense to use Skype, instead of a phone. It would be cheaper for anyone providing you lessons that way.
There is a guy on the iClone forum who does paid skype tutorials who uses DAZ studio as well called Crikey, I always thought it was a bit of a money grab when so much info available for free and so many forum users willing to help for free but I guess each to their own, surprised Mr Dreamlight not thought of it yet.
I recommend you try both. If nothing else you can learn the proper terminology for questions you may want to ask and you may learn some things a tutor may overlook or you didn't know was possible. Having a reference wil take the mystery out of things, all forms of higher learning have relied on printed material for this reason for centuries because it is indispensable for learning anything worth learning.
I am sure someone will take your money ..............
most people on forum will help for free, just saying
Oh these problems are NOT website specific ... that's just an internet thing. Watched a video once of a spammer in Nigeria that got closed down, it's amazing how many addresses they glean in the twinkling of an eye.
btw - there is this little gem in the store. It's a PC item: http://www.daz3d.com/learning-daz-studio-basics
? is the text finished and you're now working on the scenes or ? Some idea as to ambiance for the story, type of characters desired, style of clothing or lack thereof, the more information provided even if in bits and pieces [not suggesting you publish the whole story here] would help people help you find, create or guide through the process for to achieve.
For starters, what "troubleshoot DAZ Studio issues" exactly are you referring to here?
Maybe it's just me, but any opportunity I have to learn from a book verses a live human... Gimme da book... Well, provided it is well written.
Most people are terrible at teaching... Much better at writing... You have to think more when you write... I'm a bad example of that, but in general that's something you start to realize over time.
Mentor/Pupil works fine in a classroom, office or even in a gladiatorial arena, but over the phone... I don't know. The problem with not having a broader grasp of the subject first is you may not exactly know how to ask for what you need, the mentor may not recognize that and you may not get the full benefits of the method.
Looking to circumvent certain learning paths may not be the best way to achieve your goals in the long run... Take the links to tutorial, books and whatever you can get... Ultimately they will last longer than what you pick up in a conversation over the phone and build a stronger foundation for the long term... If I had the inclination to do what you are looking for, I'd first learn as much as I could from a written format, move on to good (good ones) video tutorials and then seek a phone guru/mentor... In 3D, taking a short cut almost alway leads to confusion... Confusion leads to anger and anger leads to the dark side... You don't want become a sith now, do you... Because that I could mentor you on, and for a really great low price too... But seriously, I've learned this the hard way too many times.
Good luck.
I will throw out a recomendation for the book. It's a bit out of date now, but it's really useful for getting up and going.
Also, as a resource, the ....other place...has a live chat board 24/7, which can be helpful for some realtime.
I suggest if you really need someone to troubleshoot issues quickly and effectively you are going to need to look into a secure way for them to share your desktop - at least to watch what you are doing and see what you are seeing, possibly to take control remotely and demonstrate. There are quite a few options out there to look at. Alternatively, or additionally, a means for you to see their desktop and watch first, then follow along. I think you get the drift: something as visual as this would be very difficult to talk through on the phone alone, and potentially frustrating for both of you as a consequence.
I appreciate the suggestions to use books, tutorials, videos, and articles. I have gone the route before and I end up feeling better about using DAZ Studio at first. But I never am able to reproduce the quality of work in the ads of products that I buy.
I have had some success recently by chance commenting on a post by a frustrated DAZ user who complains that he wants to get the results shown in the ads when he buys a product. [Search DAZ forums on: How is this achieved: Lighting in Promo Images? for the post I am referring to].
He complains that he never does produce the results in the ads and it seems that he does not even come close. He appears to be a long-time user familiar with many advanced DAZ concepts and not a newbie.
That post really resonated with me, so I commented on two programs, InaneGlory Photo Studio bundle and Dreamlight's Light Dome Pro dealing with lighting internal and external scenes that I have been looking at that are advertised as what I would call "turnkey".
You create a scene with a character and props and then select a preset that produces outdoor or interior lighting. My comment asked if these really worked the way they said they would. I put forth the theory that if that were true, it would solve the problem of the original poster and mine.
One of the creators of Photo Studio bundle commented and explained that the product was designed to do just that (and more) and offered to help me if I needed it. So, respecting his or her commitment to their product, I took the plunge, bought the product. The user guide which I found only by right clicking in the DAZ Install Manager and linking to a PDF file that was supposed to be the user guide was a spread of a few pages with definitioins of the components of the product that did not provide step by step instructions.
I tried to use Photo Studio bundle but had no clue how to make it work. So I posted to the same thread and asked for help. The same person responded and sent me an email asking how they could help me with the program. That is where I am now. I need someone to walk me through how specific products work and to be available to answer questions.
I have an idea that I want to propose to the people responsible for Photo Studio.
So far I have not had any offers to enter into a fee for service agreement for a mentor. That avenue of help seems to be a dead end.
So I have come up with another plan. I have been a technical writer for over 30 years, writing manuals and documentation on complex hardware and software systems. I have written a 1,000 page document describing a new chip technology (a router on a chip), networking manuals for installers, administrators, and end-users, UNIX system documentation, and so on -- just about every aspect of technology related to computers, networking, and other high tech products.
I plan to offer this person my services for free in exchange for helping me to understand how to use the program at a basic and advanced level and produce the quality of illustrations in the ads for the product. In exchange, I will produce a small book in PDF form that explains to a DAZ user and a potential buyer and/or actual buyer of the product, step-by-step examples of how to produce the images in the ad and related information on the reason these steps are necessary. I would also have links in the manual to other examples that demonstrate other uses of its features as they come up in the step-by-step examples.
You know the old saying, "Give a man a fish and he has a meal for a day, teach him how to fish, and he will eat for a lifetime." I think that DAZ and the vendors have lost sight of this. An example of this in practice is what I do prior to attempting to show a beginner how to play the guitar. I turn the guitar around and use opposite hands to do everything to remind myself what it was like the first time I attempted to play a chord on a guitar. It is a very effective reminder that we all were once novices and extremely frustrated with the DAZ learning curve.
DAZ has, over the years, come a long way in producing an amazing tool. What has lagged is the means to help people to use the product fully with all of its features. And for most people, I would guess, who view the DAZ ads as I have, there is little hope of ever producing the results that they see.
However, if one takes the view from the starting point of the ads and moves forward, I think that directed small user guides (not videos which are often not explained very well, and can be difficult to follow and use in practice) with step-by-step procedures with menu options and illustrations that you can actually see clearly, would go far in helping these novice and intermediate users to move into the expert realm.
After all, the ads attract us to the product because it solves a problem for us or creates an idea for a new project. When we buy a product, such as a vacuum cleaner, how would we feel if the product did not perform as described in the ad or was so complex that most of it features are never used? But DAZ products seem to have this failing, at least in my experience, more often than not. All the videos, articles, tutorials just never seem to help because the exact knowledge necessary to use the tool effectively to produce the quality of work in the ads is not present with the product. DAZ basically is telling you that you are on your own.
And the gain for DAZ is that these users, confident that these small guides are available with every product that they sell, will buy more products knowing that they can produce the results shown in the ads. I have a HUGE wishlist of DAZ products.
Microsoft requires that every product conform to its standards, why not DAZ? I would bet that if you took a survey of DAZ users, that a majority would agree with me and welcome this as a new feature of every DAZ products.
I've PMed you.
Getting good results comes with lots of practice and trial & error with tweaking settings ... this takes time and I dare say isn't something you can fix by offering payment, Moll. It has taken many of us years to come to the level of mastering the results with the software, composition, lighting and camera angles. Some of that just cannot be taught.
Agreed. I look at DS the same as a paintbrush, you can send anyone to art classes, but the majority of pupils will not become good artists, same with guitar lessons and skilled musicians. Knowing every feature inside DS will make a person more familiar with the program, not neccesarily a better artist. I feel that is one of the bigger issues with this community, too many plug and play options which lead new users to unrealistic expectations, which in turn leads to frustration. I honestly believe when you look at amazing promo images, it's supposed to inspire a person to work toward that goal, not make them want to know what they can buy so that with a few clicks they can produce what a seasoned artist with possibly more skill and talent did. This is not directed at the OP, just a general observation. I honestly hope the OP gets a mentor and it pays off for them.
I understand what you are saying. However, as a technical writer, it is my job to come up to speed on very complex projects of which I have no prior knowlege within a very short time so that I can produce documentation for advanced users. What I have found is that by doing some research beforehand, having a clear set of questions about the product, and sitting down in person with the developer moves me toward that goal very quickly and enables me to produce an outline for the documentation and get hands on experience with the product. A very focused set of screen shots of the process of using the product helps greatly. Once the outline is approved, writing the document is the easy part and goes quickly. The review of the document by the developer and the incorporation of comments is the final step.
What I have found is that there are usually a limited set of blocking problems understanding and using the product that impedes the documentation process. Once those problems are addressed by interactions with the developer, the process moves swiftly along. Again, prior knowlege of the product is for the most part not required. In the case of DAZ Studio, the process would be even easier because I am very familiar with the product and for the most part can figure out for myself what a product from a vendor is supposed to do. The problem I have found is actually using the product to produce the results I expected when I bought it or using a feature of DAZ Studio.
Long ago, I had the same problem with Bryce. I was blocked from using the more advanced features and producing the results I saw in ads for Bryce products. I spent alot of time on bulletin boards asking quesions and getting some answers. But one day I found a mentor who was willing to actually meet with me (he was a student at MIT at the time). A few two-hour sessions with him and some follow on help via email and my knowledge and abilities with Bryce improved dramatically. I had become an advanced user in a very short time getting results that I could only have dreamed of.
A psychologist friend of mine told me that the fastest way to get up to speed on a subject or product was to find a mentor and pay him or her. His view, after years of experience with this issue with his patients, was that many people mistakenly take the long route by working their way through the documentation, attending classes, tutorials, viewing video clips and so on. His advice proved out with my experience with Bryce. I lucked out because I found a mentor who did not require any kind of monetary compensation and enjoyed the mentoring role.
Up until a few hours ago, no one had responded to my post in search of a mentor. However someone did contact me who develops DAZ products and hopefully will help me to come up to speed as I did with Bryce years ago. My cousin, who developed medical procedures and related products, when I asked him the key to his success, said to me, "People will constantly tell you what you cannot do, ignore them. I did.And you see the result." At the time we were on his 50-foot sailing yacht sailing out of Marblehead harbor.
I will, if things work out with this new mentor, post my experience in the forum with some results that demonstrate that there is a fast-track using a mentor.
After reading the posts relating to creativity and art, I do agree that creativity and an artistic sense are key in producing more compelling images. But what we are talking about is more akin to what Microsoft and Apple accomplished years ago by creating user interfaces that moved away from the geeky interfaces of MSDOS and like products. People with vision at Apple with the Macintosh created the MAC interface.
A collegue and I as technical writers decades ago, introduced the production staff to the MAC and once the graphic artists used it, they were hooked. It cut down the develpment time of illustrations and improved the quality dramatically. Then, others, outside the production area, began using the MAC and productivity jumped again as writers began creating their own illustrations.
Do not sell users short. What often happens is that what blocks the creativity of users is lack of knowlege of the products they are using. And often, the people who understand the inner workings and nuances of a graphics package do not necessarily produce the most inciteful and beautiful work. Take the stumbling blocks out of a package and suddenly people who before struggled to produce anything compelling, suddenly become consumate artists. After all, a software package is simply a tool. The more accessible that tool is, the more productive its users will be.
For years, I did not understand the use of layers in Photoshop. Then, one day, I started to use layers, slowly at first. But as I understood their power, I began to do remarkable things. Once that power was unleashed, it opened up so many possibilities. The quality fo my work improved dramatically. Suddenly I was able to produce effects in my projects at the level of a seasoned graphic designer. I was able to think of an idea and just do it because I knew how to use advanced features of Photoshop.
Back in the days before Windows and the Apple interfaces, it was the wild west. The average person was not able to use computers effectively for their work without lots of training. But once these new interfaces were introduced, those average people were able to do things that would have seemed impossible to them.
An example of this not related to art is my experience as a grantsmanager (accountant) for private non-profit public service programs. We used to use physical spreadsheets to track our budgets with pencils, erasers, and calculators. It took forever to close the accounts at the end of every month because the spreadsheets had to be cross-checked by column and row and there were lots of errors. Along comes Lotus and Excel and a dramatic increase in productivity. I wish spreadsheets were available when I was a grants manager. And as they got more sophisticated, average people began producing very impressive and complex presentations.
I believe that there are many budding DAZ artists who are blocked because the tools are too difficult to use because they are not accessible to the average DAZ user. I feel very strongly that I am blocked. It is not about spending the time to learn the product. These new products that you talk about that make it too easy fo users to accomplish things with the wave of the hand are tools that increase productivity and take the drudgery out of creative projects. It allows people with vision who do not have a whole lot of time to fiddle, tinker, experiment, to realize those visions. At one time, when I thought I was going to be a science geek, I used a slide rule. I actually took tests using a slide rule because that was the only tool available. Then came calculators and everything changed. I did not become smarter, I just became more productive.
Your discussion's points are very interesting and I wish you good luck with finding a mentor.
I also believe in team/group work - without it many sophisticated products like Windows, MacOSX or Linux
were not be possible to appear and evolve.
Moll, don't get me wrong, I am not saying you can't succeed at this and by all means do not let me deter you in any way. Getting the hang of DS may seem daunting to a lot of people and I have no doubt you'll get there... making art however is another matter entirely and relies on a skill set that differs greatly from getting to know programs, etc. Everyone can hold a camera for instance, but not everyone can be a successful photographer. That was the gist of my point.
I think we agree. The fact is that nobody really knows the potential of another person, even one who might appear not be very creative on the surface. I stayed far away from computers and technology until college because I felt that I was locked out because I did not have the necessary skills in math and science. However, I took a BASIC programming course, did extremely well, and it changed my direction completely. I realized that computer programming was mostly logic and for the most part, the math and complex tech was hidden. Once bitten, I embraced technology and made it a career. Also, success is totally subjective.
I wholeheartedly agree with you, here. It has been a fun ride for me and I have learned through much trial and error. I still have a ways to go. I understand your dilemma, but I really think that this forum and, I mean, this daz family, here, is a world of knowledge and all are so happy to help as much as needed. They have always helped me. No one is an accomplished artist in the beginning...it takes time just like playing an instrument in music. I recommend jumping right in; posting some renders to your gallery and ask for critics..you will learn a lot. Remember you will fall many times before you actually walk.
For me Iray made the ride just more interesting, Sultry... the PBS rendering gives such great results. In hindsight, had I known that it was going to need an Nvidia graphics card to work faster, I would have gotten one when I bought my new rig. My last render took almost 16 hours on CPU...
Yeah, when I learned of the Iray and nvidia, I knew that it was time to upgrade and build a new faster machine with a higher end nvidia card and lots more memory. I knew that if I was going to improve big time, I had to do this. I am very pleased with Iray and have been getting great results from using it. My renders usually take no more than a few hours...but it does depend how many objects you are rendering and the lighting...it is definitely a fun ride...
I rarely use anything more then a sunlight for outdoors, or emitters for indoors (lights in the mesh scene itself)... with a 3.5Ghz hexcore amd and 16Gb ram, not top of the line, but it gets the work done.